EX-1.1 2 d94479dex11.htm EX-1.1 EX-1.1

Exhibit 1.1

[•] Shares

DESERT PEAK MINERALS INC.

Class A Common Stock

UNDERWRITING AGREEMENT

[•], 2021

BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC.

UBS SECURITIES LLC

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

c/o Barclays Capital Inc.

745 Seventh Avenue

New York, New York 10019

c/o UBS Securities LLC

1285 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10019

c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

Eleven Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10010-3629

Ladies and Gentlemen:

1. Introductory. Desert Peak Minerals Inc., a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), agrees with Barclays Capital Inc. (“Barclays”), UBS Securities LLC and Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, as representatives (the “Representatives”), of the several underwriters named in Schedule A hereto (the “Underwriters”), to issue and sell to the Underwriters [•] shares of its Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (“Securities”) (such [•] shares of Securities being hereinafter referred to as the “Firm Securities”). The Company also agrees to issue and sell to the Underwriters, at the option of the Underwriters, an aggregate of not more than [•] additional shares of its Securities (the “Optional Securities”) as set forth below. The Firm Securities and the Optional Securities are herein collectively called the “Offered Securities.” As part of the offering contemplated by this agreement (this “Agreement”),                  (the “Designated Underwriter”) has agreed to reserve out of the Firm Securities purchased by it under this Agreement up to 5% of the Class A common stock for sale to the Company’s directors, officers, employees and other parties associated with the Company (collectively, “Participants”), as set forth in the Final Prospectus (as defined herein) under the heading “Underwriting” (the “Directed Share Program”). The Firm Securities to be sold by Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated, a selected dealer affiliated with the Designated Underwriter, pursuant to the Directed Share Program (the “Directed Shares”) will be sold by Merrill, Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated pursuant to this Agreement at the public offering price. Any Directed Shares not subscribed for by the end of the business day on which this Agreement is executed will be offered to the public by the Underwriters as set forth in the Final Prospectus.


The Company hereby confirms its engagement of UBS Securities LLC as, and UBS Securities LLC hereby confirms its agreement with the Company to render services as, the “qualified independent underwriter” within the meaning of Rule 5121(f)(12) of the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority Inc. (“FINRA”) with respect to the offering and sale of the Offered Securities. UBS Securities LLC, solely in its capacity as the qualified independent underwriter and not otherwise, is referred to herein as the “QIU.”

The Company was formed in contemplation of the proposed issuance and sale of the Offered Securities (the “Offering”). It is understood and agreed to by all parties that immediately prior to the initial closing of the Offering, the Company will enter into certain corporate reorganization transactions (the “Reorganization Transactions”), pursuant to which the following transactions, among others, will occur (as further described under the headings “Corporate Reorganization” and “Use of Proceeds” in the General Disclosure Package (as defined below)):

 

  (a)

Desert Peak LLC (“Opco”) and the indirect owners of the initial assets of the Company (the “Existing Owners”) will enter into a merger agreement pursuant to which Opco will acquire the Company’s initial assets and the Existing Owners will acquire Opco Units (as defined below) and be admitted as members of Opco;

 

  (b)

the Company will issue and sell the Offered Securities to the Underwriters;

 

  (c)

the Company will contribute all of the net proceeds of the Offering and shares of the Company’s Class B common stock, par value $0.001 per share (“Class B common stock”), to Opco in exchange for a number of common units in Opco (the “Opco Units”) equal to the number of shares of Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share, outstanding following the Offering, and Opco will then distribute a number of shares of Class B common stock to the Existing Owners equal to the number of Opco Units held by them; and

 

  (d)

Opco will use the net proceeds of the Offering to (i) repay outstanding borrowings under the Company’s revolving credit facility and (ii) fund future acquisitions of mineral and royalty interests.

2. Representations and Warranties of the Company. The Company represents and warrants to, and agrees with, the several Underwriters that:

(a) Filing and Effectiveness of Registration Statements; Certain Defined Terms. The Company has filed with the Commission a registration statement on Form S-1 (No. 333-[•]) covering the registration of the Offered Securities under the Act, including a related preliminary prospectus or prospectuses. At any particular time, this initial registration statement, in the form then on file with the Commission, including all information contained in the registration statement (if any) pursuant to Rule 462(b) and then deemed to be a part of the initial registration statement, and all 430A Information and all 430C Information, that in any case has not then been superseded or modified, shall be referred to as the “Initial Registration Statement.” The Company may also

 

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have filed, or may file, with the Commission, a Rule 462(b) registration statement covering the registration of the Offered Securities. At any particular time, this Rule 462(b) registration statement, in the form then on file with the Commission, including the contents of the Initial Registration Statement incorporated by reference therein and including all 430A Information and all 430C Information, that in any case has not then been superseded or modified, shall be referred to as the “Additional Registration Statement.”

As of the time of execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Initial Registration Statement has been declared effective under the Act and is not proposed to be amended. Any Additional Registration Statement has or will become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(b) and is not proposed to be amended. The Offered Securities all have been or will be duly registered under the Act pursuant to the Initial Registration Statement and, if applicable, the Additional Registration Statement.

For purposes of this Agreement:

430A Information,” with respect to any registration statement, means information included in a prospectus and retroactively deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430A(b).

430C Information,” with respect to any registration statement, means information included in a prospectus then deemed to be a part of such registration statement pursuant to Rule 430C.

Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

Applicable Time” means [•] [A.M./P.M.], New York time, on the date of this Agreement.

Closing Date” has the meaning defined in Section 3.

Commission” means the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Effective Time” with respect to the Initial Registration Statement or, if filed prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Additional Registration Statement, means the date and time as of which such Registration Statement was declared effective by the Commission or has become effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(c). If an Additional Registration Statement has not been filed prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement but the Company has advised the Representatives that it proposes to file one, “Effective Time” with respect to such Additional Registration Statement means the date and time as of which such Additional Registration Statement is filed and becomes effective pursuant to Rule 462(b).

Exchange Act” means the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.

Final Prospectus” means the Statutory Prospectus that discloses the public offering price, other 430A Information and other final terms of the Offered Securities and otherwise satisfies Section 10(a) of the Act.

 

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General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is intended for general distribution to prospective investors, as evidenced by its being so specified in Schedule B to this Agreement.

Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, relating to the Offered Securities in the form filed or required to be filed with the Commission or, if not required to be filed, in the form retained in the Company’s records pursuant to Rule 433(g).

Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” means any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus that is not a General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus.

The Initial Registration Statement and any Additional Registration Statement, after the filing thereof, are referred to collectively as the “Registration Statements” and individually as a “Registration Statement.” A “Registration Statement” with reference to a particular time means the Initial Registration Statement and any Additional Registration Statement as of such time. A “Registration Statement” without reference to a time means such Registration Statement as of its Effective Time. For purposes of the foregoing definitions, 430A Information with respect to a Registration Statement shall be considered to be included in such Registration Statement as of the time specified in Rule 430A.

Rules and Regulations” means the rules and regulations of the Commission.

Securities Laws” means, collectively, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, as amended, and all rules and regulations promulgated thereunder or implementing the provisions thereof (“Sarbanes-Oxley”), the Act, the Exchange Act, the Rules and Regulations, the auditing principles, rules, standards and practices applicable to auditors of “issuers” (as defined in Sarbanes-Oxley) promulgated or approved by the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (“PCAOB”) and, as applicable, the rules of the New York Stock Exchange (“Exchange Rules”).

Statutory Prospectus” with reference to a particular time means the prospectus included in a Registration Statement immediately prior to that time, including any 430A Information or 430C Information with respect to such Registration Statement. For purposes of the foregoing definition, 430A Information shall be considered to be included in the Statutory Prospectus as of the actual time that form of prospectus is filed with the Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) or Rule 462(c) and not retroactively.

Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any oral or written communication with potential investors undertaken in reliance on Section 5(d) of the Act.

Written Testing-the-Waters Communication” means any Testing-the-Waters Communication that is a written communication within the meaning of Rule 405 under the Act.

Unless otherwise specified, a reference to a “rule” is to the indicated rule under the Act.

 

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(b) Compliance with Securities Act Requirements. (i) (A) At their respective Effective Times, (B) on the date of this Agreement and (C) on each Closing Date, each Registration Statement conformed and will conform in all respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations, and did not and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein not misleading, (ii) on its date, at the time of filing of the Final Prospectus pursuant to Rule 424(b) or (if no such filing is required) at the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement in which the Final Prospectus is included, and on each Closing Date, the Final Prospectus will conform in all respects to the requirements of the Act and the Rules and Regulations and will not include any untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact required to be stated therein or necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and (iii) on the date of this Agreement, at their respective Effective Times or issue dates and on each Closing Date, each Registration Statement, the Final Prospectus, any Statutory Prospectus, any prospectus wrapper, and any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus complied or will comply, and such documents and any further amendments or supplements thereto will comply, with any applicable laws or regulations of each jurisdiction in which the Final Prospectus, any Statutory Prospectus, any prospectus wrapper or any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as amended or supplemented, if applicable, are distributed in connection with the Directed Share Program. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any such document based upon written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information is that described as such in Section 8(b).

(c) Ineligible Issuer Status. (i) At the time of the initial filing of the Initial Registration Statement and (ii) at the date of this Agreement, the Company was not and is not an “ineligible issuer,” as defined in Rule 405.

(d) General Disclosure Package. As of the Applicable Time, none of (i) the General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus(es), if any, issued at or prior to the Applicable Time, the preliminary prospectus, dated [•], 2021 (the “Preliminary Prospectus”) (which is the most recent Statutory Prospectus distributed to investors generally) and the other information, if any, stated in Schedule B to this Agreement to be included in the General Disclosure Package, all considered together (collectively, the “General Disclosure Package”), (ii) any individual Limited Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, or (iii) any individual Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, when considered together with the General Disclosure Package, included any untrue statement of a material fact or omitted to state any material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading. The preceding sentence does not apply to statements in or omissions from any Statutory Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(c).

(e) Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses. Each Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, as of its issue date and at all subsequent times through the completion of the public offer and sale of the Offered Securities or until any earlier date that the Company notified or notifies the Representatives as described in the next sentence, did not, does not and will not include any information that conflicted, conflicts or will conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statements. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, at

 

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a time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption of Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer, there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statements or as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if republished immediately following such event or development, would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, (i) the Company has promptly notified or will promptly notify the Representatives and (ii) the Company has promptly amended or supplemented or will promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

(f) Good Standing of the Company. The Company has been duly incorporated and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the State of Delaware, with power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and to enter into and perform its obligations under this Agreement; and the Company is duly qualified to do business as a foreign corporation in good standing in all other jurisdictions listed on Schedule D hereto in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be so qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to result in a material adverse effect on the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole (a “Material Adverse Effect”). After giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, the Company will not own or control, directly or indirectly, any corporation, association or other entity other than the subsidiaries listed on Schedule C hereto (the “Subsidiaries”).

(g) Subsidiaries. Each of the Subsidiaries has been duly formed and is validly existing and in good standing under the laws of the jurisdiction of its formation, with limited liability company or limited partnership, as applicable, power and authority to own or lease its properties and conduct its business as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; and each Subsidiary is duly qualified to do business as a foreign limited liability company or foreign limited partnership, as applicable, in good standing in all other jurisdictions listed on Schedule D hereto in which its ownership or lease of property or the conduct of its business requires such qualification, except where the failure to be duly qualified or in good standing would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; all of the issued and outstanding limited liability company interests or limited partner interests, as applicable, of each Subsidiary have been duly authorized and validly issued and the limited partners or members, as applicable, of each Subsidiary will have no obligation to make further payments for their purchase of such interests or contributions to such Subsidiary solely by reason of their ownership of such interests or their status as limited partners or members, as applicable, and no personal liability for the obligations of such Subsidiary solely by reason of being limited partners or members, as applicable, of such Subsidiary; and, following the Reorganization Transactions, the limited liability company interests or limited partner interests, as applicable, of each Subsidiary will be owned by the Company, directly or through subsidiaries, free from liens, encumbrances and defects except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

 

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(h) Authorization of Agreement. The Company has all requisite corporate power to execute, deliver and perform its obligations under this Agreement. This Agreement has been duly authorized and validly executed and delivered by the Company.

(i) Authorization of the Reorganization Transactions. The Reorganization Transactions have been duly authorized by the Company, OpCo and, to the Company’s knowledge, KMF.

(j) Offered Securities. The Offered Securities and all other outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company, after giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, will have been duly authorized; after giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, the authorized equity capitalization of the Company will be as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; after giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, all outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company will be, and, when the Offered Securities have been delivered and paid for in accordance with this Agreement on each Closing Date, such Offered Securities will have been, validly issued, fully paid and nonassessable, and will conform to the information in the General Disclosure Package and to the description of such Offered Securities contained in the Final Prospectus in all material respects; the stockholders of the Company have no preemptive rights with respect to the Offered Securities; and none of the outstanding shares of capital stock of the Company have been issued in violation of any preemptive or similar rights of any security holder of the Company. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, there are no outstanding (A) securities or obligations of the Company convertible into or exchangeable for any capital stock of the Company, (B) warrants, rights or options to subscribe for or purchase from the Company any such capital stock or any such convertible or exchangeable securities or obligations or (C) obligations of the Company to issue or sell any shares of capital stock, any such convertible or exchangeable securities or obligations or any such warrants, rights or options. The Company has not, directly or indirectly, offered or sold any of the Offered Securities by means of any “prospectus” (within the meaning of the Act and the Rules and Regulations) or used any “prospectus” or made any offer (within the meaning of the Act and the Rules and Regulations) in connection with the offer or sale of the Offered Securities, in each case other than the Preliminary Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

(k) Absence of Defaults and Conflicts Resulting from Transaction. The execution, delivery and performance of this Agreement, and the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities will not result in a breach or violation of any of the terms and provisions of, or constitute a default or a Debt Repayment Triggering Event (as defined below) under, or result in the imposition of any lien, charge or encumbrance upon any property or assets of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries pursuant to, (i) their respective certificate of incorporation, certificate of formation, by-laws, limited liability company agreement or limited partnership agreement (or similar organizational or governing documents), (ii) any statute, rule, regulation or order of any governmental agency or body or any court, domestic or foreign, having jurisdiction over the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or any of their properties, or (iii) any agreement or instrument to which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is a party or by which the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is bound or to which any of the properties of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries is subject, except, in the case of clauses (ii) and (iii), as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; a “Debt Repayment Triggering Event” means any event or condition that gives, or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would give, the holder of any note, debenture, or other evidence of indebtedness (or any person acting on such holder’s behalf) the right to require the repurchase, redemption or repayment of all or a portion of such indebtedness by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries.

 

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(l) Absence of Further Requirements. No consent, approval, authorization or order of, or filing or registration with, any person (including any governmental agency or body or any court) is required to be obtained or made by the Company or any Subsidiary for (i) the consummation of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement in connection with the offering, issuance and sale of the Offered Securities by the Company or (ii) the consummation of the Reorganization Transactions, except for (x) such as have been, or prior to the Closing Date, will be, obtained or made, (y) such consents, approvals, authorizations, orders, filings, registrations or qualifications as may be required under state securities laws or Blue Sky laws or by FINRA in connection with the purchase and distribution of the Offered Securities by the Underwriters and (z) such consents that, if not obtained, have not had or would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(m) Financial Statements. The historical financial statements (including the related notes) included in each Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the entities purported to be shown thereby, at the dates and for the periods indicated, and, except as otherwise disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, have been prepared in conformity with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”) applied on a consistent basis. The unaudited pro forma financial statements and the related notes thereto included in each Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus present fairly in all material respects the information contained therein and have been properly presented on the bases described therein, and the assumptions used in the preparation thereof are reasonable and the adjustments used therein are appropriate to give effect to the transactions and circumstances referred to therein. The unaudited pro forma financial statements comply as to form in all material respects with the applicable accounting requirements of Rule 11-02 of Regulation S-X under the Act and the pro forma adjustments have been properly applied to the historical amounts in the compilation of those statements. The other financial information and data included in each Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the captions “Prospectus Summary—Summary Historical and Pro Forma Financial Data,” “Selected Historical and Pro Forma Financial Data” and “Business—Crude Oil, Natural Gas and NGL Production Prices and Costs” has been derived from the accounting records of the Company, as applicable, and presents fairly in all material respects the information shown thereby. The Company does not have any material liabilities or obligations, direct or contingent (including any off-balance sheet obligations or any “variable interest entities” within the meaning of Financial Accounting Standards Board Interpretation No. 46), not disclosed in each Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

 

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(n) Auditors.

 

  (i)

KPMG LLP (“KPMG”), who has certified certain financial statements of the Company or assets acquired by the Company, whose reports appear in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and who has delivered the initial letters referred to in Section 7(a)(i), is an independent public accounting firm within the meaning of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the PCAOB.

 

  (ii)

Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”), who has certified certain financial statements of Rock Ridge Royalty Company LLC (“Rock Ridge”) or its advisors, whose reports appear in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and who has delivered the initial letters referred to in Section 7(a)(ii), is an independent public accounting firm within the meaning of the Act and the applicable rules and regulations adopted by the Commission and the PCAOB.

(o) Internal Controls and Compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley. Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, the Company, its Subsidiaries and the Company’s Board of Directors (the “Board”) are in compliance with Sarbanes-Oxley and all applicable Exchange Rules. Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, the Company maintains a system of internal controls, including, but not limited to, disclosure controls and procedures, internal controls over accounting matters and financial reporting and legal and regulatory compliance controls (collectively, “Internal Controls”) that comply with the Securities Laws and are sufficient to provide reasonable assurances that (i) transactions are executed in accordance with management’s general or specific authorizations, (ii) transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP and to maintain accountability for assets, (iii) access to assets is permitted only in accordance with management’s general or specific authorization and (iv) the recorded accountability for assets is compared with the existing assets at reasonable intervals and appropriate action is taken with respect to any differences. The Internal Controls are, or upon consummation of the Offering will be, overseen by the Audit Committee (the “Audit Committee”) of the Board in accordance with Exchange Rules. Except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, the Company has not publicly disclosed or reported to the Audit Committee or the Board a significant deficiency, material weakness, change in Internal Controls or fraud involving management or other employees who have a significant role in Internal Controls, or any violation of, or failure to comply with, the Securities Laws and the Exchange Rules that, if determined adversely, would have a Material Adverse Effect.

(p) No Material Adverse Change in Business. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, since the end of the period covered by the latest audited financial statements included in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus (i) there has been no change, nor any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries, taken as a whole, that is material and adverse, (ii) there has been no dividend or distribution of any kind declared, paid or made by the Company on any class of its capital stock and (iii) there has been no material adverse change in the capital stock, short-term indebtedness, long-term indebtedness, net current assets or net assets of the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

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(q) Title to Property. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, after giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, the Company and its Subsidiaries will have (i) good and defensible title to all of the interests in oil and gas properties underlying the Company’s estimates of its net proved reserves contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and (ii) good and marketable title to all other real and personal property reflected in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus as assets owned by them, in each case free and clear of all liens, encumbrances and defects except those (w) described in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, (x) liens and encumbrances under operating agreements, unitization and pooling agreements, production sales contracts, farmout agreements and other oil and gas exploration, participation and production agreements, in each case that secure payment of amounts not yet due and payable for the performance of other unmatured obligations and are of a scope and nature customary in the oil and gas industry or arise in connection with drilling and production operations, (y) that do not materially affect the value of the properties of the Company and its Subsidiaries and do not interfere in any material respect with the use made or proposed to be made of such properties by the Company or its Subsidiaries or (z) as would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; any other real property and buildings held under lease by the Company and its Subsidiaries are held by them under valid, subsisting and enforceable leases, with such exceptions as are not material and do not interfere in any material respect with the use made and proposed to be made of such property and buildings by the Company or its Subsidiaries. With respect to interests in oil and gas properties obtained by or on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries that have not yet been drilled or included in a unit for drilling, the Company and its Subsidiaries have carried out such title investigations in accordance with the customary practice in the oil and gas industry in the areas in which the Company and its Subsidiaries operate.

(r) Possession of Licenses and Permits. After giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, the Company and its Subsidiaries will possess, and will be in compliance with the terms of, such permits, licenses, patents, franchises, certificates of need and other approvals or authorizations of governmental or regulatory authorities (“Permits”) as are necessary or material to the conduct of the business now conducted or proposed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, except for any of the foregoing that would not, in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. After giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, the Company and its Subsidiaries will have fulfilled and performed all of their obligations with respect to the Permits, and no event will have occurred that allows, or after notice or lapse of time would allow, revocation or termination thereof or results in any other impairment of the rights of the holder or any such Permits, except for any of the foregoing that would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect. Neither the Company nor its Subsidiaries have received notice of any revocation or modification of any such Permits or have any reason to believe that any such Permits will not be renewed in the ordinary course.

(s) Possession of Intellectual Property. After giving effect to the Reorganization Transactions, the Company and its Subsidiaries will own, possess, or will be able to acquire on reasonable terms, adequate patents, patent applications, trademarks, service marks, trade names, trademark registrations, service mark registrations, copyrights, licenses, know-how, software, systems and technology (including trade secrets and other unpatented and/or unpatentable proprietary or confidential information, systems or procedures) and other intellectual property (collectively, “intellectual property rights”) necessary to conduct the business now operated by

 

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them, or presently employed by them, and have no reason to believe that the conduct of their business will conflict with, and will have not received any notice of infringement of or any claim of conflict with asserted rights of others with respect to any intellectual property rights that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, would individually or in the aggregate reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(t) Litigation. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, there are no pending actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) against or affecting the Company, any of its Subsidiaries or any of their respective properties that, if determined adversely to the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, would, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect, or would materially and adversely affect the ability of the Company to perform its obligations under this Agreement. To the Company’s knowledge, no such actions, suits or proceedings (including any inquiries or investigations by any court or governmental agency or body, domestic or foreign) are threatened or contemplated.

(u) Absence of Existing Defaults and Conflicts. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is (i) in violation of its respective certificate of incorporation, certificate of formation, certificate of limited partnership, by-laws, limited liability company agreement or limited partnership agreement (or similar organizational or governing documents) or (ii) in default (or with the giving of notice or lapse of time would be in default) under any existing obligation, agreement, covenant or condition contained in any indenture, loan agreement, mortgage, lease or other agreement or instrument to which any of them is a party or by which any of them is bound or to which any of the properties of any of them is subject, except in the case of clause (ii) above, such defaults that would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(v) Environmental Laws. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, (i) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (A) is or has been in violation of any foreign, federal, state or local statute, law, rule, regulation, judgment, order, decree, decision, ordinance, code or other legally binding requirement (including common law) relating to the pollution, protection or restoration of the environment, wildlife or natural resources; occupational health or workplace safety; or the generation, use, handling, transportation, treatment, storage, discharge, disposal or release of, or exposure to, any Hazardous Substance (as defined below) (collectively, “Environmental Laws”), (B) is conducting or funding, in whole or in part, any investigation, remediation, monitoring or other corrective action pursuant to any Environmental Law, including to address any actual or suspected Hazardous Substance, (C) has received notice of, or is subject to any action, suit, claim or proceeding alleging, any actual or potential liability under, or violation of, any Environmental Law, including with respect to any Hazardous Substance, (D) is party to any order, decree or agreement that imposes any obligation or liability under applicable Environmental Law, or (E) is or has been in violation of, or has failed to obtain and maintain, any permit, license, authorization, identification number or other approval required under applicable Environmental Laws; (ii) to the knowledge of the Company, there are no facts or circumstances that would reasonably be expected to result in any violation of or liability under any Environmental Law, including with respect to any Hazardous Substance, except in the case of clauses (i) and (ii) above, for such matters as would not individually or in the aggregate

 

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reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect; and (iii) neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries (A) is subject to any pending administrative, regulatory or judicial actions, suits, claims or other proceedings relating to any Environmental Law in which a governmental entity is also a party that could reasonably be expected to result in a fine or penalty of $300,000 or more, nor does the Company or any of its Subsidiaries know any such actions, suits, claims or other proceedings are contemplated, (B) is aware of any material effect on the capital expenditures, earnings or competitive position of the Company and its Subsidiaries resulting from compliance with Environmental Laws, or (C) anticipates any material capital expenditures relating to any Environmental Laws. For purposes of this Section 2(v), “Hazardous Substance” means (y) any pollutant, contaminant, petroleum and petroleum products, by-products or breakdown products, radioactive materials, asbestos, asbestos-containing materials, polychlorinated biphenyls or toxic mold, and (z) any other toxic, radioactive, ignitable, corrosive, reactive or otherwise hazardous chemical, material, waste or substance.

(w) Taxes. The Company and each of its Subsidiaries has filed all federal, state, local and foreign tax returns required to be filed through the date of this Agreement, subject to permitted extensions, and have paid all taxes required to be paid thereon (except as currently being contested in good faith and for which reserves required by GAAP have been created in the financial statements of the Company or would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect), and no material tax deficiency has been, or could reasonably be expected to be, asserted against the Company or any of its Subsidiaries that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(x) Investment Company Act. The Company is not, and after giving effect to the Offering and the application of the proceeds thereof as described in each of the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, will not be, an “investment company” as defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “Investment Company Act”), and the rules and regulations of the Commission thereunder.

(y) Reserve Engineers.

 

  (i)

Cawley Gillespie & Associates, Inc. (“Cawley”), whose reports appear in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and who has delivered the letters referred to in Section 7(b)(i), was, as of the date of such report, and is, as of the date hereof, an independent petroleum engineer with respect to the Company and its Subsidiaries.

 

  (ii)

Netherland, Sewell & Associates, Inc. (“NSAI”), whose reports appear in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and who has delivered the letters referred to in Section 7(b)(ii), was, as of the date of such report, and is, as of the date hereof, an independent petroleum engineer with respect to Rock Ridge and its Subsidiaries.

 

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(z) Reserve Report Information.

 

  (i)

The information contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus regarding estimated proved reserves of the Company and its Subsidiaries as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 is based upon the reserve reports prepared by Cawley. The information provided to Cawley by the Company and its Subsidiaries was true and correct in all material respects on the dates the reports were made. Such information was provided to Cawley in accordance with all customary industry practices.

 

  (ii)

The information contained in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus regarding estimated proved reserves of Rock Ridge as of December 31, 2020 and 2019 is based upon the reserve reports prepared by NSAI. To the knowledge of the Company, the information provided to NSAI by Rock Ridge was true and correct in all material respects on the dates the reports were made. Such information was provided to NSAI in accordance with all customary industry practices.

(aa) Reserve Reports; Production Estimates. The factual information underlying the estimates of reserves of the Company and its Subsidiaries and, to the knowledge of the Company, the factual information underlying the estimates of reserves of Rock Ridge, included in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, including, without limitation, production, costs of operation and development, current prices for production, agreements relating to current and future operations and sales of production, was true and correct in all material respects on the dates such estimates were made and such information was supplied and was prepared in accordance with customary industry practices. Other than normal production of reserves, intervening market commodity price fluctuations, fluctuations in demand for such products, adverse weather conditions, unavailability or increased costs of rigs, equipment, supplies or personnel, the timing of third-party operations and other factors, in each case in the ordinary course of business, and except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries is aware of any facts or circumstances that would result in a material adverse change in the aggregate net reserves, or the aggregate present value of future net cash flows therefrom, as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

(bb) Absence of Manipulation. Neither the Company nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any affiliate of the Company has taken, directly or indirectly, any action that is designed, or would reasonably be expected, to cause or result in, or which constitutes, the stabilization or manipulation of the price of any security of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities or to result in a violation of Regulation M under the Exchange Act.

(cc) Anti-Corruption. Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates, nor any director, officer or employee of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent or representative of the Company or of any of its Subsidiaries or affiliates, has taken or will take any action in furtherance of an offer, payment, promise to pay, or authorization or approval of the payment or giving of money, property, gifts or anything else of value, directly or indirectly, to any “government official” (including any officer or employee of a government or government-owned or controlled entity or of a public international organization, or any person acting in an official capacity for or on behalf of any of the foregoing, or any political party or party official or candidate for political office) to unlawfully influence official action or secure an improper advantage; and the Company and its Subsidiaries and, to the Company’s knowledge, the Company’s affiliates have conducted their businesses in compliance with applicable anti-corruption laws and have instituted and maintain and will continue to maintain policies and procedures designed to promote and achieve compliance with such laws and with the representation and warranty contained herein.

 

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(dd) Anti-Money Laundering. The operations of the Company and its Subsidiaries are and have been conducted at all times in compliance with, and each has taken and will continue to take reasonable action designed to comply with, all applicable financial recordkeeping and reporting requirements, including those of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by Title III of the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (USA PATRIOT Act), and the applicable anti-money laundering statutes of all jurisdictions where the Company and its Subsidiaries conduct business, the rules and regulations thereunder and any related or similar rules, regulations or guidelines, issued, administered or enforced by any governmental agency (collectively, the “Anti-Money Laundering Laws”), and no action, suit or proceeding by or before any court or governmental or regulatory agency, authority or body or any arbitrator involving the Company or any of its Subsidiaries with respect to the Anti-Money Laundering Laws is pending or, to the knowledge of the Company, threatened.

(ee) Economic Sanctions.

 

  (i)

Neither the Company nor any of its Subsidiaries, nor any director, officer or employee thereof, nor, to the Company’s knowledge, any agent, affiliate or representative of the Company or any of its Subsidiaries, is an individual or entity (“Person”) that is, or is owned or controlled by a Person that is:

 

  (A)

the subject or target of any sanctions administered or enforced by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), the United Nations Security Council (UN), the European Union (EU), Her Majesty’s Treasury (UK HMT), the Swiss Secretariat of Economic Affairs (SECO), the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA), the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS), or other relevant sanctions authority (collectively, “Sanctions”); nor

 

  (B)

located, organized or resident in a country or territory that is the subject or target of Sanctions (including, without limitation, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Crimea and Syria).

 

  (ii)

The Company will not, directly or indirectly, use the proceeds of the Offering, or lend, contribute or otherwise make available such proceeds to any subsidiary, joint venture partner or other Person:

 

  (A)

to fund or facilitate any activities or business of or with any Person or in any country or territory that, at the time of such funding or facilitation, is the subject or target of Sanctions; or

 

  (B)

in any other manner that will result in a violation of Sanctions by any Person (including any Person participating in the Offering, whether as underwriter, advisor, investor or otherwise).

 

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  (iii)

For the past five years, the Company and its Subsidiaries have not knowingly engaged in, are not now knowingly engaged in, and will not engage in, any dealings or transactions with any Person, or in any country or territory, that at the time of the dealing or transaction is or was the subject of Sanctions.

(ff) Accuracy of Exhibits. There are no contracts or documents which are required to be described in the Registration Statement, the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus or to be filed as exhibits to the Registration Statement which have not been so described and filed as required.

(gg) Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions. No relationship, direct or indirect, that would be required to be described in a registration statement of the Company pursuant to Item 404 of Regulation S-K, exists between or among the Company or its Subsidiaries, on the one hand, and the directors, officers, stockholders, customers or suppliers of the Company or its Subsidiaries, on the other hand, that has not been described in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

(hh) Absence of Labor Dispute. No labor disturbance by or dispute with the employees of the Company or its Subsidiaries exists or, to the knowledge of the Company, is imminent that would reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect.

(ii) Accurate Disclosure. The statements made in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus under the captions “Certain Relationships and Related Party Transactions,” “Description of Capital Stock,” “Business—Legal Proceedings,” “Business—Regulation,” “Material U.S. Federal Income Tax Considerations for Non-U.S. Holders,” “Certain ERISA Considerations,” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations—Liquidity and Capital Resources—Our Revolving Credit Facility,” insofar as such statements summarize legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings discussed therein, are accurate and fair summaries of such legal matters, agreements, documents or proceedings and present the information required to be shown, in each case in all material respects.

(jj) Insurance. Except as would not reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, the Company and its Subsidiaries are insured by insurers with appropriately rated claims paying abilities against such losses and risks and in such amounts as are adequate and customary for the businesses in which they are engaged; all policies of insurance and fidelity or surety bonds insuring the Company or any of its Subsidiaries or their respective businesses, assets, employees, officers and directors are in full force and effect; the Company and its Subsidiaries are in compliance with the terms of such policies and instruments in all material respects; and there are no claims by the Company or any of its Subsidiaries under any such policy or instrument as to which any insurance company is denying liability or defending under a reservation of rights clause; neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has been refused any material insurance coverage sought or applied for; neither the Company nor any such Subsidiary has any reason to believe that it will not be able to renew its existing insurance coverage as and when such coverage expires or to obtain similar coverage from similar insurers as may be necessary to continue its business at a cost that would not have a Material Adverse Effect, except as set forth in or contemplated in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus; and the Company will obtain directors’ and officers’ insurance in such amounts as is customary for an initial public offering.

 

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(kk) Cybersecurity. (i)(A) To the knowledge of the Company, there has been no security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure, or other compromise of or relating to any of the Company’s or its Subsidiaries’ information technology and computer systems, networks, hardware, software, data and databases (including the data and information of their respective customers, employees, suppliers, vendors and any third-party data maintained, processed or stored by the Company and its Subsidiaries, and any such data processed or stored by third parties on behalf of the Company and its Subsidiaries), equipment or technology (collectively, “IT Systems and Data”) and (B) the Company and its Subsidiaries have not been notified of, and have no knowledge of any event or condition that would reasonably be expected to result in, any security breach or incident, unauthorized access or disclosure or other compromise to their IT Systems and Data; (ii) the Company and its Subsidiaries are presently in compliance with all applicable laws or statutes and all judgments, orders, rules and regulations of any court or arbitrator or governmental or regulatory authority, internal policies and contractual obligations relating to the privacy and security of IT Systems and Data and to the protection of such IT Systems and Data from unauthorized use, access, misappropriation or modification; and (iii) the Company and its Subsidiaries have implemented appropriate controls, policies, procedures and technological safeguards to maintain and protect the integrity, continuous operation, redundancy and security of their IT Systems and Data reasonably consistent with industry standards and practices, or as required by applicable regulatory standards.

(ll) Compliance with ERISA. Except, in each case, for any such matter as would not, individually or in the aggregate, reasonably be expected to have a Material Adverse Effect and as set forth in or contemplated by the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, (i) each “employee benefit plan” (within the meaning of Section 3(3) of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”)) for which the Company or any member of its “Controlled Group” (defined as any organization which is a member of a controlled group of corporations within the meaning of Section 414(b), (c), (m) or (o) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) the “Controlled Group”) would have any material liability (each a “Plan”) has been maintained in compliance with its terms and with the requirements of all applicable statutes, rules and regulations including ERISA and the Code; (ii) no prohibited transaction, within the meaning of Section 406 of ERISA or Section 4975 of the Code, has occurred with respect to any Plan, excluding transactions effected pursuant to a statutory or administrative exemption; (iii) with respect to each Plan subject to Title IV of ERISA, (A) no “reportable event” (within the meaning of Section 4043(c) of ERISA) has occurred or is reasonably expected to occur, excluding any reportable event for which a waiver could apply, (B) no Plan is or is reasonably expected to be in “at-risk status” (within the meaning of Section 430 of the Code or Section 303(i) of ERISA), (C) for each Plan that is subject to the funding rules of Section 412 of the Code or Section 302 of ERISA, there has been no filing pursuant to Section 412(c) of the Code or Section 302(c) of ERISA of an application for a waiver of the minimum funding standard with respect to any Plan or the receipt by the Company or any member of the Controlled Group from the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation or the plan administrator of any notice relating to the intention to terminate any Plan or Plans or to appoint a trustee to administer any Plan, (D) no conditions contained in Section 303(k)(1)(A) of ERISA for imposition of a lien shall have been met with respect to any Plan and (E) neither the Company nor any member of its Controlled Group has

 

16


incurred, or reasonably expects to incur, any material liability under Title IV of ERISA (other than contributions to the Plan or premiums to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation in the ordinary course and without default) in respect of a Plan (including a “multiemployer plan,” within the meaning of Section 4001(c)(3) of ERISA (a “Multiemployer Plan”)); (iv) no Multiemployer Plan is, or is expected to be, “insolvent” (within the meaning of Section 4245 of ERISA), in “reorganization” (within the meaning of Section 4241 of ERISA), or in “endangered” or “critical” status (within the meaning of Section 432 of the Code or Section 304 of ERISA); and (v) each Plan that is intended to be qualified under Section 401(a) of the Code is so qualified and nothing has occurred, whether by action or by failure to act, that could reasonably be expected to cause the loss of such qualification.

(mm) No Restriction on Dividends. No Subsidiary is currently prohibited, directly or indirectly, from paying any dividends to the Company, from making any other distribution on its limited partner or limited liability company interests, as applicable, from repaying to the Company any loans or advances to it from the Company or from transferring any of its property or assets to the Company or any other Subsidiary, except as described in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus.

(nn) Statistical and Market-Related Data. Any third-party statistical and market-related data included in a Registration Statement, a Statutory Prospectus, the General Disclosure Package or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication is based on or derived from sources that the Company believes to be reliable and accurate.

(oo) Registration Rights. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person granting such person the right to require the Company to file a registration statement under the Act with respect to any securities of the Company owned or to be owned by such person or to require the Company to include such securities in the securities registered pursuant to a Registration Statement or in any securities being registered pursuant to any other registration statement filed by the Company under the Act (collectively, “registration rights”), and any person to whom the Company has granted registration rights is not entitled to, or has agreed not to, exercise its rights to sell any securities of the Company pursuant to such rights until after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period referred to in Section 5(k).

(pp) No Finder’s Fee. Except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, there are no contracts, agreements or understandings between the Company and any person that would give rise to a valid claim against the Company or any Underwriter for a brokerage commission, finder’s fee or other like payment in connection with the Offering.

(qq) Listing. The Offered Securities have been approved for listing on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”), subject to notice of issuance.

(rr) Emerging Growth Company Status. From the time of the initial confidential submission of the Initial Registration Statement to the Commission (or, if earlier, the first date on which the Company engaged directly or through any person authorized to act on its behalf in any Testing-the-Waters Communication) through the date hereof, the Company has been and is an “emerging growth company,” as defined in Section 2(a) of the Act (an “Emerging Growth Company”).

 

 

17


(ss) Testing-the-Waters Communication. The Company (a) has not alone engaged in any Testing-the-Waters Communication and (b) has not authorized anyone other than the Representatives to engage in any Testing-the-Waters Communication. The Company reconfirms that the Representatives have been authorized to act on its behalf in undertaking Testing-the-Waters Communication. The Company has not distributed any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication.

(tt) Absence of Unlawful Influence. The Company has not offered or sold, or caused the Underwriters to offer or sell, any Offered Securities to any person pursuant to the Directed Share Program with the specific intent to unlawfully influence (i) a customer or supplier of the Company to alter the customer’s or supplier’s level or type of business with the Company or (ii) a trade journalist or publication to write or publish favorable information about the Company or its products.

(uu) Ratings. The Company has no debt securities or preferred stock that is rated by any “nationally recognized statistical rating organization” (as defined in Section 3(a)(62) of the Exchange Act).

3. Purchase, Sale and Delivery of Offered Securities. On the basis of the representations, warranties and agreements and subject to the terms and conditions set forth herein, the Company agrees to sell to the several Underwriters, and each of the Underwriters agrees, severally and not jointly, to purchase from the Company the respective number of Firm Securities set forth opposite the name of such Underwriter in Schedule A hereto. The purchase price payable by the Underwriters for the Firm Stock is $[•] per share for the first [•] shares representing Firm Securities and $[•] per share for the remaining [•] shares representing Firm Securities. The purchase price payable by the Underwriters for the Optional Securities is $[•] per share.

The Company will deliver the Firm Securities to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives against payment of the purchase price by the Underwriters in Federal (same day) funds by wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company, at the office of Latham & Watkins LLP, 811 Main Street, Suite 3700, Houston, Texas 77002, at 9:00 A.M., New York time, on [•], 2021, or at such other time not later than seven full business days thereafter as the Representatives and the Company determine, such time being herein referred to as the “First Closing Date.” For purposes of Rule 15c6-1 under the Exchange Act, the First Closing Date (if later than the otherwise applicable settlement date) shall be the settlement date for payment of funds and delivery of securities for all the Offered Securities sold pursuant to the Offering. Delivery of the Firm Securities will be made through the facilities of the Depositary Trust Company (the “DTC”) unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.

 

18


In addition, upon written notice from the Representatives given to the Company from time to time not more than 30 days subsequent to the date of the Final Prospectus, the Underwriters may purchase all or less than all of the Optional Securities at the purchase price per Security to be paid for the Firm Securities. Such notice shall set forth (i) the aggregate number of shares of Optional Securities as to which the Underwriters are exercising the option and (ii) the time, date and place at which the Optional Securities will be delivered (each time for the delivery of and payment for the Optional Securities being herein referred to as an “Optional Closing Date,” which may be the First Closing Date) (the First Closing Date and each Optional Closing Date, if any, being sometimes referred to as a “Closing Date”). The Company agrees to sell to the Underwriters the number of shares of Optional Securities specified in such notice and the Underwriters agree, severally and not jointly, to purchase such Optional Securities. Such Optional Securities shall be purchased for the account of each Underwriter in the same proportion as the number of Firm Securities set forth opposite such Underwriter’s name bears to the total number of Firm Securities (subject to adjustment by the Representatives to eliminate fractions) and may be purchased by the Underwriters only for the purpose of covering over allotments made in connection with the sale of the Firm Securities. No Optional Securities shall be sold or delivered unless the Firm Securities previously have been, or simultaneously are, sold and delivered. The right to purchase the Optional Securities or any portion thereof may be exercised from time to time and to the extent not previously exercised may be surrendered and terminated at any time upon notice by the Representatives to the Company.

Each Optional Closing Date shall be determined by the Representatives but shall be not later than five full business days after written notice of election to purchase Optional Securities is given. The Company will deliver the Optional Securities being purchased on each Optional Closing Date to or as instructed by the Representatives for the accounts of the several Underwriters in a form reasonably acceptable to the Representatives, against payment of the purchase price therefor in Federal (same day) funds by wire transfer to an account at a bank acceptable to the Representatives drawn to the order of the Company, at the above office of Latham & Watkins LLP. The delivery of any Optional Securities will be made through the facilities of the DTC unless the Representatives shall otherwise instruct.

4. Offering by Underwriters. It is understood that the several Underwriters propose to offer the Offered Securities for sale to the public as set forth in the Final Prospectus.

5. Certain Agreements of the Company. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that:

(a) Additional Filings. Unless filed pursuant to Rule 462(b) as part of the Additional Registration Statement in accordance with the next sentence, the Company will file the Final Prospectus, in a form approved by the Representatives, with the Commission pursuant to and in accordance with subparagraph (1) (or, if applicable and if consented to by the Representatives, subparagraph (4)) of Rule 424(b) not later than the earlier of (A) the second business day following the execution and delivery of this Agreement or (B) the fifteenth business day after the Effective Time of the Initial Registration Statement. The Company will advise the Representatives promptly of any such filing pursuant to Rule 424(b) and provide satisfactory evidence to the Representatives of such timely filing. If an Additional Registration Statement is necessary to register a portion of the Offered Securities under the Act but the Effective Time thereof has not occurred as of the execution and delivery of this Agreement, the Company will file the Additional Registration Statement or, if filed, will file a post-effective amendment thereto with the Commission pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 462(b) on or prior to 10:00 P.M., New York time, on the date of this Agreement or, if earlier, on or prior to the time the Final Prospectus is finalized and distributed to any Underwriter, or will make such filing at such later date as shall have been consented to by the Representatives.

 

19


(b) Filing of Amendments; Response to Commission Requests. The Company will promptly advise the Representatives of any proposal to amend or supplement at any time the Initial Registration Statement, any Additional Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus and will not effect such amendment or supplementation without the Representatives’ consent; and the Company will also advise the Representatives promptly of (i) the effectiveness of any Additional Registration Statement (if its Effective Time is subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement), (ii) any amendment or supplementation of a Registration Statement or any Statutory Prospectus, (iii) any request by the Commission or its staff for any amendment to any Registration Statement, for any supplement to any Statutory Prospectus or for any additional information, (iv) the institution by the Commission of any stop order proceedings in respect of a Registration Statement or the threatening of any proceeding for that purpose, and (v) the receipt by the Company of any notification with respect to the suspension of the qualification of the Offered Securities in any jurisdiction or the institution or threatening of any proceedings for such purpose. The Company will use its reasonable best efforts to prevent the issuance of any such stop order or the suspension of any such qualification and, if issued, to obtain as soon as possible the withdrawal thereof.

(c) Continued Compliance with Securities Laws. If, at any time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer, any event occurs as a result of which the Final Prospectus as then amended or supplemented would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omit to state any material fact necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, or if it is necessary at any time to amend a Registration Statement or supplement the Final Prospectus to comply with the Act, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives of such event and will promptly prepare and file with the Commission and furnish, at its own expense, to the Underwriters and the dealers and any other dealers upon request of the Representatives, an amendment or supplement which will correct such statement or omission or an amendment which will effect such compliance. Neither the Representatives’ consent to, nor the Underwriters’ delivery of, any such amendment or supplement shall constitute a waiver of any of the conditions set forth in Section 7.

(d) Rule 158. As soon as practicable, but not later than the Availability Date (as defined below), the Company will make generally available to its security holders an earnings statement covering a period of at least 12 months beginning after the Effective Time of the Initial Registration Statement (or, if later, the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement), which will satisfy the provisions of Section 11(a) of the Act and Rule 158 under the Act. For the purpose of the preceding sentence, “Availability Date” means the day after the end of the fourth fiscal quarter following the fiscal quarter that includes such Effective Time on which the Company is required to file its Form 10-Q for such fiscal quarter except that, if such fourth fiscal quarter is the last quarter of the Company’s fiscal year, “Availability Date” means the day after the end of such fourth fiscal quarter on which the Company is required to file its Form 10-K.

 

20


(e) Furnishing of Prospectuses. The Company will furnish, upon request, to the Representatives copies of each Registration Statement (three of which will be signed and will include all exhibits), each related Statutory Prospectus, and, so long as a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption in Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act, the Final Prospectus and all amendments and supplements to such documents, in each case in such quantities as the Representatives request. The Final Prospectus shall be so furnished within two business days following the execution and delivery of this Agreement, unless otherwise agreed by the Company and the Representatives. All other such documents shall be so furnished as soon as available. The Company will pay the expenses of printing and distributing to the Underwriters all such documents.

(f) Blue Sky Qualifications. The Company will arrange for the qualification of the Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and will continue such qualifications in effect so long as required for the distribution.

(g) Reporting Requirements. During the period of five years hereafter, the Company will, upon request, furnish to the Representatives and to each of the other Underwriters, as soon as practicable after the end of each fiscal year, a copy of its annual report to stockholders for such year; and the Company will furnish to the Representatives (i) as soon as available, upon request, a copy of each report and any definitive proxy statement of the Company filed with the Commission under the Exchange Act or mailed to stockholders, and (ii) from time to time, such other information concerning the Company as the Representatives may reasonably request. However, so long as the Company is subject to the reporting requirements of either Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Exchange Act and is timely filing reports with the Commission on its Electronic Data Gathering, Analysis and Retrieval system (“EDGAR”) or any successor system to EDGAR, it is not required to furnish such reports or statements to the Underwriters.

(h) Payment of Expenses. The Company agrees with the several Underwriters that the Company will pay all expenses incident to the performance of its obligations under this Agreement, including but not limited to any filing fees and other expenses (including reasonable fees and disbursements of counsel to the Underwriters) incurred in connection with qualification of the Offered Securities for sale under the laws of such jurisdictions as the Representatives designate and the preparation and printing of memoranda relating thereto, costs and expenses related to the review by FINRA of the Offered Securities (including filing fees and the reasonable fees and expenses of counsel for the Underwriters not to exceed $20,000 relating to such review), costs and expenses relating to investor presentations or any “road show” in connection with the Offering including, without limitation, any travel expenses of the Company’s officers and employees; provided, however, that the Underwriters shall be responsible for 50% of the costs of any private aircraft chartered by or on behalf of the Company in connection with such presentations, and any other expenses of the Company including fees and expenses incident to listing the Offered Securities on the NYSE, fees and expenses in connection with the registration of the Offered Securities under the Exchange Act, any transfer taxes payable in connection with the delivery of the Offered Securities to the Underwriters and expenses incurred in distributing preliminary prospectuses and the Final Prospectus (including any amendments and supplements thereto) to the Underwriters and for expenses incurred for preparing, printing and distributing any Issuer Free Writing Prospectuses to investors or prospective investors. In addition to the foregoing, the Company will also pay the fees and expenses of the QIU. It is understood, however, that except as provided herein, the Underwriters will pay all of their own costs and expenses, including the fees of their counsel and any road show expenses incurred by them (other than costs and expenses incurred by the Underwriters on behalf of the Company).

 

21


(i) Use of Proceeds. The Company will use the net proceeds received in connection with the Offering in the manner described in the “Use of Proceeds” section of the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and, except as disclosed in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, the Company does not intend to use any of the proceeds from the sale of the Offered Securities hereunder to repay any outstanding debt owed to any Underwriter or affiliate of any Underwriter.

(j) Absence of Manipulation. The Company will not take, directly or indirectly, any action designed to or that would constitute or that might reasonably be expected to cause or result in, stabilization or manipulation of the price of any securities of the Company to facilitate the sale or resale of the Offered Securities.

(k)

(i) Restriction on Sale of Securities by the Company. For the period specified below (the “Lock-Up Period”), the Company will not, directly or indirectly, take any of the following actions with respect to its Securities or any securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any of its Securities (“Lock-Up Securities”): (A) offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of Lock-Up Securities, (B) offer, sell, issue, contract to sell, contract to purchase or grant any option, right or warrant to purchase Lock-Up Securities, (C) enter into any swap, hedge or any other agreement that transfers, in whole or in part, the economic consequences of ownership of Lock-Up Securities, (D) establish or increase a put equivalent position or liquidate or decrease a call equivalent position in Lock-Up Securities within the meaning of Section 16 of the Exchange Act or (E) file with or confidentially submit to the Commission a registration statement under the Act relating to Lock-Up Securities, or publicly disclose the intention to take any such action, without the prior written consent of Barclays, except (1) the sale of Securities to the Underwriters as contemplated by this Agreement, (2) the issuance of Securities in connection with the Reorganization Transactions, (3) issuances of Lock-Up Securities pursuant to the conversion, exchange or redemption of convertible, exchangeable or redeemable securities or the exercise of warrants or options, in each case outstanding on the date hereof, (4) grants of employee stock options or other compensatory awards pursuant to the terms of a plan in effect on the date hereof or otherwise described in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus or issuances of Lock-Up Securities pursuant to the exercise or vesting of such options or other compensatory awards, (5) the filing of a registration statement on Form S-8 relating to issuances of Lock-Up Securities pursuant to the terms of a plan described in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus and (6) issuances of Lock-Up Securities as consideration for the acquisition of equity interests or assets of any person, or the acquisition by the Company by any other manner of any business, properties, assets or persons, in one transaction or a series of related transactions, or the confidential submission of a registration statement relating to such Lock-Up Securities (and the inclusion of other Lock-Up Securities pursuant to piggyback registration rights in existence on the date of this Agreement and described in the General Disclosure Package and Final Prospectus), provided that (x) no

 

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more than an aggregate of [•]% of the number of shares of the Company’s capital stock outstanding immediately after the issuance and sale of the Offered Securities pursuant to this Agreement are issued, and (y) prior to the issuance of such shares of the Company’s Securities, each recipient of such Securities agrees in writing to be subject to the “lock-up” described in this Section 5(k)(i) for the remaining term of the Lock-Up Period. If the Company is required to confidentially submit a registration statement with the Commission in connection with an action described in clause (6) above, the Company shall provide the Representatives with notice of such confidential submission at least three business days prior to such confidential submission. The Lock-Up Period will commence on the date hereof and continue for 180 days after the date hereof or such earlier date that Barclays consents to in writing.

(ii) Agreement to Announce Lock-Up Waiver. If Barclays, in its sole discretion, agrees to release or waive the restrictions set forth in a lock-up agreement described in Section 7(i) for an officer or director of the Company and provides the Company with notice of the impending release or waiver at least three business days before the effective date of the release or waiver, the Company agrees to announce the impending release or waiver by a press release substantially in the form of Exhibit B hereto through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver.

(l) Testing-the-Waters Communication. If at any time following the distribution of any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication included or would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances existing at that subsequent time, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement, at its own expense, such Written Testing-the-Waters Communication to eliminate or correct such statement or omission.

(m) Emerging Growth Company Status. The Company will promptly notify the Representatives if the Company ceases to be an Emerging Growth Company at any time prior to the later of (i) completion of the distribution of the Offered Securities within the meaning of the Act and (ii) completion of the Lock-Up Period.

(n) Transfer Restrictions. In connection with the Directed Share Program, the Company will ensure that the Directed Shares will be restricted to the extent required by FINRA or the FINRA rules from sale, transfer, assignment, pledge or hypothecation for a period of three months following the date of the effectiveness of the Registration Statement. The Designated Underwriter will notify the Company as to which Participants will need to be so restricted. The Company will direct the transfer agent to place stop transfer restrictions upon such securities for such period of time.

(o) Payment of Expenses Related to Directed Share Program. The Company will pay all fees and disbursements of counsel (including non-U.S. counsel) incurred by the Underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program and stamp duties, similar taxes or duties or other taxes, if any, incurred by the underwriters in connection with the Directed Share Program.

 

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6. Free Writing Prospectuses. The Company represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Representatives, and each Underwriter represents and agrees that, unless it obtains the prior consent of the Company and the Representatives, it has not made and will not make any offer relating to the Offered Securities that would constitute an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, or that would otherwise constitute a “free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 405, required to be filed with the Commission. Any such free writing prospectus consented to by the Company and the Representatives is hereinafter referred to as a “Permitted Free Writing Prospectus.” The Company and the Representatives agree that any such Permitted Free Writing Prospectus is listed on Schedule B hereto. The Company represents that it has treated and agrees that it will treat each Permitted Free Writing Prospectus as an “issuer free writing prospectus,” as defined in Rule 433, and has complied and will comply with the requirements of Rules 164 and 433 applicable to any Permitted Free Writing Prospectus, including timely Commission filing where required, legending and record keeping. The Company represents that it has satisfied and agrees that it will satisfy the conditions in Rule 433 to avoid a requirement to file with the Commission any electronic road show. If at any time following issuance of an Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, at a time when a prospectus relating to the Offered Securities is (or but for the exemption of Rule 172 would be) required to be delivered under the Act by any Underwriter or dealer, there occurred or occurs an event or development as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus conflicted or would conflict with the information then contained in the Registration Statements or as a result of which such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus, if republished immediately following such event or development, would include an untrue statement of a material fact or omitted or would omit to state a material fact necessary in order to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, the Company will promptly notify the Representatives and will promptly amend or supplement such Issuer Free Writing Prospectus to eliminate or correct such conflict, untrue statement or omission.

7. Conditions of the Obligations of the Underwriters. The obligations of the several Underwriters to purchase and pay for the Firm Securities on the First Closing Date and the Optional Securities to be purchased on each Optional Closing Date will be subject to the accuracy of the representations and warranties of the Company herein (as though made on such Closing Date), to the accuracy of the statements of Company officers made pursuant to the provisions hereof, to the performance by the Company of its obligations hereunder and to the following additional conditions precedent:

(a) Auditor Comfort Letters.

 

  (i)

The Representatives shall have received “comfort letters,” dated the date hereof, of KPMG in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, covering the financial information of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statements and the General Disclosure Package and other customary matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings. In addition, on each Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received from KPMG “bring-down comfort letters” dated such Closing Date addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, in the form of the “comfort letters” delivered on the date hereof, except that (i) it shall state

 

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  the conclusions and findings of KPMG with respect to the financial information of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statements and the Final Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and other customary matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings and (ii) procedures shall be brought down to a date no more than three (3) business days prior to such Closing Date, except as otherwise agreed by the Representatives.

 

  (ii)

The Representatives shall have received “comfort letters,” dated the date hereof, of Deloitte in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, covering the financial information of Rock Ridge included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statements and the General Disclosure Package and other customary matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings. In addition, on each Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received from Deloitte “bring-down comfort letters” dated such Closing Date addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, in the form of the “comfort letters” delivered on the date hereof, except that (i) it shall state the conclusions and findings of Deloitte with respect to the financial information of Rock Ridge included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statements and the Final Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and other customary matters ordinarily covered by accountants’ “comfort letters” to underwriters in connection with registered public offerings and (ii) procedures shall be brought down to a date no more than three (3) business days prior to such Closing Date, except as otherwise agreed by the Representatives.

(b) Reserve Engineer Comfort Letters.

 

  (i)

The Representatives shall have received “comfort letters,” dated the date hereof, of Cawley, independent petroleum engineers, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, covering the oil and gas reserves information of the Company included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statements and the General Disclosure Package and other customary matters. In addition, on each Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received from Cawley “bring-down comfort letters” dated such Closing Date addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, in the form of the “comfort letters” delivered on the date hereof, except that (i) they shall cover the oil and gas reserves information of the Comapny included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statements and the Final Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and (ii) procedures shall be brought down to a date no more than three (3) business days prior to the Closing Date, except as otherwise agreed by the Representatives.

 

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  (ii)

The Representatives shall have received “comfort letters,” dated the date hereof, of NSAI, independent petroleum engineers, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, covering the oil and gas reserves information of Rock Ridge included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statements and the General Disclosure Package and other customary matters. In addition, on each Closing Date, the Underwriters shall have received from NSAI “bring-down comfort letters” dated such Closing Date addressed to the Underwriters, in form and substance reasonably satisfactory to the Representatives, in the form of the “comfort letters” delivered on the date hereof, except that (i) they shall cover the oil and gas reserves information of Rock Ridge included or incorporated by reference in the Registration Statements and the Final Prospectus and any amendment or supplement thereto and (ii) procedures shall be brought down to a date no more than three (3) business days prior to the Closing Date, except as otherwise agreed by the Representatives.

(c) Effectiveness of Registration Statements. If the Effective Time of the Additional Registration Statement (if any) is not prior to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, such Effective Time shall have occurred not later than 10:00 P.M., New York time, on the date of this Agreement or, if earlier, the time the Final Prospectus is finalized and distributed to any Underwriter, or shall have occurred at such later time as shall have been consented to by the Representatives. The Final Prospectus shall have been filed with the Commission in accordance with the Rules and Regulations and Section 5(a). Prior to such Closing Date, no stop order suspending the effectiveness of a Registration Statement shall have been issued and no proceedings for that purpose shall have been instituted or, to the knowledge of the Company or the Representatives, shall be contemplated by the Commission.

(d) No Material Adverse Change. Subsequent to the execution and delivery of this Agreement, there shall not have occurred (i) any change, or any development or event involving a prospective change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole, which, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and makes it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities; (ii) any change in U.S. or international financial, political or economic conditions or currency exchange rates or exchange controls the effect of which is such as to make it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impractical to market or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities, whether in the primary market or in respect of dealings in the secondary market; (iii) any suspension or material limitation of trading in securities generally on the NYSE, or any setting of minimum or maximum prices for trading on such exchange; (iv) any suspension of trading of any securities of the Company on any exchange or in the over-the-counter market; (v) any banking moratorium declared by any U.S. federal or New York authorities; (vi) any major disruption of settlements of securities, payment or clearance services in the United States or any other country where such securities are listed or (vii) any attack on, outbreak or escalation of hostilities or act of terrorism involving the United States, any declaration of war by Congress or any other national or international calamity or emergency if, in the judgment of the Representatives, the effect of any such attack, outbreak, escalation, act, declaration, calamity or emergency is such as to make it impractical or inadvisable to market the Offered Securities or to enforce contracts for the sale of the Offered Securities.

 

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(e) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for the Company. The Representatives shall have received an opinion and 10b-5 statement, dated such Closing Date, of Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., counsel for the Company, in the form attached hereto as Exhibit A.

(f) Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel for Underwriters. The Representatives shall have received from Latham & Watkins LLP, counsel for the Underwriters, such opinion or opinions and 10b-5 statement, dated such Closing Date, with respect to such matters as the Representatives may require, and the Company shall have furnished to such counsel such documents as they request for the purpose of enabling them to pass upon such matters.

(g) Officers’ Certificate. The Representatives shall have received a certificate, dated such Closing Date, of an executive officer of the Company and a principal financial or accounting officer of the Company in which such officers shall state that: the representations and warranties of the Company in this Agreement are true and correct; the Company has complied with all agreements and satisfied all conditions on its part to be performed or satisfied hereunder at or prior to such Closing Date; no stop order suspending the effectiveness of any Registration Statement has been issued and no proceedings for that purpose have been instituted or, to the best of their knowledge and after reasonable investigation, are contemplated by the Commission; the Additional Registration Statement (if any) satisfying the requirements of subparagraphs (1) and (3) of Rule 462(b) was timely filed pursuant to Rule 462(b), including payment of the applicable filing fee in accordance with Rule 111 of Regulation S-T; and subsequent to the date of the most recent financial statements in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus, there has been no material adverse change, nor any development or event involving a prospective material adverse change, in the condition (financial or otherwise), results of operations, business, properties or prospects of the Company and its Subsidiaries taken as a whole except as set forth in the General Disclosure Package and the Final Prospectus or as described in such certificate.

(h) Lock-Up Agreements. On or prior to the date hereof, the Representatives shall have received lock-up agreements in the form of Exhibit C from each of the parties listed on Schedule E hereto.

The Company will furnish the Representatives with such conformed copies of such opinions, certificates, letters and documents as the Representatives may reasonably request. The Representatives may in their sole discretion waive on behalf of the Underwriters compliance with any conditions to the obligations of the Underwriters hereunder, whether in respect of an Optional Closing Date or otherwise.

8. Indemnification and Contribution. (a) Indemnification of Underwriters by Company and Opco. Each of the Company and Opco will indemnify and hold harmless each Underwriter, its partners, members, directors, officers, employees, agents, affiliates and each person, if any, who controls such Underwriter within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Indemnified Party”), against any and all losses, claims, damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which such Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final

 

27


Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, and will reimburse each Indemnified Party for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, and in connection with the enforcement of this provision with respect to any of the above as such expenses are incurred; provided, however, that each of the Company and Opco will not be liable in any such case to the extent that any such loss, claim, damage or liability arises out of or is based upon an untrue statement or alleged untrue statement in or omission or alleged omission from any of such documents in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to each of the Company and Opco by any Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the information described as such in Section 8(c).

Each of the Company and Opco agrees to indemnify and hold harmless the Designated Underwriter and its affiliates and each person, if any, who controls the Designated Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (the “Designated Entities”), from and against any and all losses, claims, damages and liabilities (including, without limitation, any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred in connection with defending or investigating any such action or claim) (i) arising out of or based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of a material fact contained in any material prepared by or with the consent of the Company for distribution to Participants in connection with the Directed Share Program or arising out of or based upon any omission or alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the circumstances under which they were made, not misleading; (ii) arising out of or based upon the failure of any Participant to pay for and accept delivery of Directed Shares that the Participant agreed to purchase; or (iii) arising out of, related to, or in connection with the Directed Share Program, other than losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or expenses relating thereto) that are finally judicially determined to have resulted from the willful misconduct or gross negligence of the Designated Entities.

(b) Indemnification of Company. Each Underwriter will severally and not jointly indemnify and hold harmless each of the Company and Opco, each of their respective directors and each of their respective officers who signs a Registration Statement and each person, if any, who controls the Company or Opco within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act (each, an “Underwriter Indemnified Party”), against any losses, claims, damages or liabilities to which such Underwriter Indemnified Party may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, or other Federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon any untrue statement or alleged untrue statement of any material fact contained in any part of any Registration Statement at any time, any Statutory Prospectus as of any time, the Final Prospectus, any Issuer Free Writing Prospectus or any Written Testing-the-Waters Communication, or arise out of or are based upon the omission or the alleged omission of a material fact required to be stated therein or necessary to make the statements therein, in the light of the

 

28


circumstances under which they were made, not misleading, in each case to the extent, but only to the extent, that such untrue statement or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission was made in reliance upon and in conformity with written information furnished to the Company by such Underwriter through the Representatives specifically for use therein, and will reimburse any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such Underwriter Indemnified Party in connection with investigating or defending against any such loss, claim, damage, liability, action, litigation, investigation or proceeding whatsoever (whether or not such Underwriter Indemnified Party is a party thereto), whether threatened or commenced, based upon any such untrue statement or omission, or any such alleged untrue statement or omission as such expenses are incurred, it being understood and agreed that the only such information furnished by any Underwriter consists of the following information in the Final Prospectus furnished on behalf of each Underwriter: the concession and reallowance figures appearing under the heading “Commissions and Expenses” in the “Underwriting” section and the information related to price stabilization and short positions appearing under the heading “Stabilization, Short Positions and Penalty Bids” in the “Underwriting” section.

(c) Actions against Parties; Notification. Promptly after receipt by an indemnified party under this Section 8 of notice of the commencement of any action, such indemnified party will, if a claim in respect thereof is to be made against the indemnifying party under Section 8(a) or Section 8(b), notify the indemnifying party of the commencement thereof; but the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have under Section 8(a) or Section 8(b) except to the extent that it has been materially prejudiced (through the forfeiture of substantive rights or defenses) by such failure; and provided further that the failure to notify the indemnifying party shall not relieve it from any liability that it may have to an indemnified party otherwise than under Section 8(a) or Section 8(b). In case any such action is brought against any indemnified party and it notifies an indemnifying party of the commencement thereof, the indemnifying party will be entitled to participate therein and, to the extent that it may wish, jointly with any other indemnifying party similarly notified, to assume the defense thereof, with counsel satisfactory to such indemnified party (who shall not, except with the consent of the indemnified party, be counsel to the indemnifying party), and after notice from the indemnifying party to such indemnified party of its election so to assume the defense thereof, the indemnifying party will not be liable to such indemnified party under this Section 8 for any legal or other expenses subsequently incurred by such indemnified party in connection with the defense thereof other than reasonable costs of investigation. Notwithstanding anything contained herein to the contrary, if indemnity may be sought pursuant to the last paragraph in Section 8(a) in respect of such action or proceeding, then in addition to such separate firm for the indemnified parties, the indemnifying party shall be liable for the reasonable fees and expenses of not more than one separate firm (in addition to any local counsel) for the Designated Underwriter for the defense of any losses, claims, damages and liabilities arising out of the Directed Share Program, and all persons, if any, who control the Designated Underwriter within the meaning of either Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act. No indemnifying party shall, without the prior written consent of the indemnified party, effect any settlement of any pending or threatened action in respect of which any indemnified party is or could have been a party and indemnity could have been sought hereunder by such indemnified party unless such settlement (i) includes an unconditional release of such indemnified party from all liability on any claims that are the subject matter of such action and (ii) does not include a statement as to, or an admission of, fault, culpability or a failure to act by or on behalf of an indemnified party.

 

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(d) Contribution. If the indemnification provided for in this Section 8 is unavailable or insufficient to hold harmless an indemnified party under Section 8(a) or Section 8(b), then each indemnifying party shall contribute to the amount paid or payable by such indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in Section 8(a) or Section 8(b) (i) in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect the relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other from the Offering or (ii) if the allocation provided by clause (i) above is not permitted by applicable law, in such proportion as is appropriate to reflect not only the relative benefits referred to in clause (i) above but also the relative fault of the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other in connection with the statements or omissions which resulted in such losses, claims, damages or liabilities as well as any other relevant equitable considerations. The relative benefits received by the Company on the one hand and the Underwriters on the other shall be deemed to be in the same proportion as the total net proceeds from the Offering (before deducting expenses) received by the Company bear to the total underwriting discounts and commissions received by the Underwriters. The relative fault shall be determined by reference to, among other things, whether the untrue or alleged untrue statement of a material fact or the omission or alleged omission to state a material fact relates to information supplied by the Company or the Underwriters and the parties’ relative intent, knowledge, access to information and opportunity to correct or prevent such untrue statement or omission. The amount paid by an indemnified party as a result of the losses, claims, damages or liabilities referred to in the first sentence of this Section 8(d) shall be deemed to include any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by such indemnified party in connection with investigating or defending any action or claim which is the subject of this Section 8(d). Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section 8(d), no Underwriter shall be required to contribute any amount in excess of the amount by which the total price at which the Securities underwritten by it and distributed to the public were offered to the public exceeds the amount of any damages which such Underwriter has otherwise been required to pay by reason of such untrue or alleged untrue statement or omission or alleged omission. No person guilty of fraudulent misrepresentation (within the meaning of Section 11(f) of the Act) shall be entitled to contribution from any person who was not guilty of such fraudulent misrepresentation. The Underwriters’ obligations in this Section 8(d) to contribute are several in proportion to their respective underwriting obligations and not joint. The Company and the Underwriters agree that it would not be just and equitable if contribution pursuant to this Section 8(d) were determined by pro rata allocation (even if the Underwriters were treated as one entity for such purpose) or by any other method of allocation which does not take account of the equitable considerations referred to in this Section 8(d).

9. Default of Underwriters. If any Underwriter or Underwriters default in their obligations to purchase Offered Securities hereunder on either the First Closing Date or any Optional Closing Date and the aggregate number of shares of Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriter or Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase does not exceed 10% of the total number of shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date, the Representatives may make arrangements satisfactory to the Company for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons, including any of the Underwriters, but if no such arrangements are made by such Closing Date, the non-defaulting Underwriters shall be obligated severally, in proportion to their respective commitments hereunder, to purchase the Offered Securities that such defaulting Underwriters agreed but failed to purchase on such Closing Date. If any Underwriter or Underwriters so default and the aggregate number of shares of Offered Securities with respect to which such default or defaults occur exceeds 10% of the total number of

 

30


shares of Offered Securities that the Underwriters are obligated to purchase on such Closing Date and arrangements satisfactory to the Representatives and the Company for the purchase of such Offered Securities by other persons are not made within 36 hours after such default, this Agreement will terminate without liability on the part of any non-defaulting Underwriter or the Company, except as provided in Section 12 (provided that if such default occurs with respect to Optional Securities after the First Closing Date, this Agreement will not terminate as to the Firm Securities or any Optional Securities purchased prior to such termination). As used in this Agreement, the term “Underwriter” includes any person substituted for an Underwriter under this Section 9. Nothing herein will relieve a defaulting Underwriter from liability for its default.

10. Qualified Independent Underwriter. The Company hereby confirms that at its request UBS Securities LLC has without compensation acted as QIU within the meaning of Rule 5121 of FINRA in connection with the offering of the Offered Securities. The Company will indemnify and hold harmless the QIU, its directors, officers, employees and agents and each person, if any, who controls the QIU within the meaning of Section 15 of the Act or Section 20 of the Exchange Act against any and all losses, claims damages or liabilities, joint or several, to which the QIU may become subject, under the Act, the Exchange Act, other federal or state statutory law or regulation or otherwise, insofar as such losses, claims, damages or liabilities (or actions in respect thereof) arise out of or are based upon the QIU’s acting (or alleged failing to act) as such “qualified independent underwriter” and will reimburse the QIU for any legal or other expenses reasonably incurred by the QIU in connection with investigating or defending any such loss, claim, damage, liability or action as such expenses are incurred.

11. Termination. The Underwriters may terminate this Agreement by notice given by the Representatives to the Company, if after the execution and delivery of this Agreement and prior to the Closing Date (i) trading generally shall have been suspended or materially limited on, or by, as the case may be, the New York Stock Exchange, (ii) a material disruption in securities settlement, payment or clearance services in the United States shall have occurred and shall be continuing, (iii) any moratorium on commercial banking activities shall have been declared by Federal or New York State authorities or (iv) there shall have occurred any outbreak or escalation of hostilities, or any change in financial markets or any calamity or crisis that, in the judgment of the Representatives, is material and adverse and which, singly or together with any other event specified in this clause (iv), makes it, in the judgment of the Representatives, impracticable or inadvisable to proceed with the offer, sale or delivery of the Offered Securities on the terms and in the manner contemplated in the General Disclosure Package or the Final Prospectus.

12. Survival of Certain Representations and Obligations. The respective indemnities, agreements, representations, warranties and other statements of the Company or its officers and of the several Underwriters set forth in or made pursuant to this Agreement will remain in full force and effect, regardless of any investigation, or statement as to the results thereof, made by or on behalf of any Underwriter, the Company or any of their respective representatives, officers or directors or any controlling person, and will survive delivery of and payment for the Offered Securities. If the purchase of the Offered Securities by the Underwriters is not consummated for any reason other than solely because of the termination of this Agreement pursuant to Section 9 or Section 11 or the occurrence of any event specified in Section 7(d)(ii), (iii), (v), (vi) or (vii), the Company will reimburse the Underwriters for all out-of-pocket expenses (including reasonable, documented fees and disbursements of counsel) reasonably incurred by them in connection with the Offering, and the respective obligations of the Company and the Underwriters pursuant to Section 8 shall remain in effect. In addition, if any Offered Securities have been purchased hereunder, the representations and warranties in Section 2 and all obligations under Section 5 shall also remain in effect.

 

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13. Notices. All communications hereunder will be in writing and, if sent to the Underwriters, will be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to the Representatives at Barclays Capital Inc., 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019, Attention: Syndicate Registration (Fax: (646) 834-8133), with a copy, in the case of any notice pursuant to Section 8, to the Director of Litigation, Office of the General Counsel, Barclays Capital Inc., 745 Seventh Avenue, New York, New York 10019; UBS Securities LLC, 1285 Avenue of the Americas New York, New York 10019; Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC, Eleven Madison Avenue, New York, New York 10010-3629, Attention: LCD-IBD; or, if sent to the Company, will be mailed, hand delivered or telecopied and confirmed to it at 1144 15th Street, Suite 2650, Denver, Colorado 80202, Attention: Christopher Conoscenti, with copies to Vinson & Elkins L.L.P., 1001 Fannin Street, Suite 2500, Houston, Texas 77002, Attention: Douglas McWilliams (Fax: (713) 758-2346) and Scott Rubinsky (Fax: (713) 758-2346).

14. Successors. This Agreement will inure to the benefit of and be binding upon the parties hereto and their respective successors and the officers and directors and controlling persons referred to in Section 8, and no other person will have any right or obligation hereunder.

15. Representation of Underwriters. The Representatives will act for the several Underwriters in connection with the transactions contemplated by this Agreement, and any action under this Agreement taken by the Representatives jointly will be binding upon all the Underwriters.

16. Counterparts. This Agreement may be executed in any number of counterparts, each of which shall be deemed to be an original, but all such counterparts shall together constitute one and the same Agreement.

17. Absence of Fiduciary Relationship. The Company acknowledges and agrees that:

(a) No Other Relationship. The Representatives have been retained solely to act as underwriters in connection with the sale of the Offered Securities and that no fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship between the Company and the Representatives has been created in respect of any of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement or the Final Prospectus, irrespective of whether the Representatives have advised or are advising the Company on other matters;

(b) Arms’ Length Negotiations. The price of the Offered Securities set forth in this Agreement was established by the Company following discussions and arms-length negotiations with the Representatives, and the Company is capable of evaluating and understanding and understands and accepts the terms, risks and conditions of the transactions contemplated by this Agreement;

(c) Absence of Obligation to Disclose. The Company has been advised that the Representatives and their respective affiliates are engaged in a broad range of transactions, which may involve interests that differ from those of the Company and that the Representatives have no obligation to disclose such interests and transactions to the Company by virtue of any fiduciary, advisory or agency relationship; and

 

32


(d) Waiver. The Company waives, to the fullest extent permitted by law, any claims it may have against the Representatives for breach of fiduciary duty or alleged breach of fiduciary duty and agrees that the Representatives shall have no liability (whether direct or indirect) to the Company in respect of such a fiduciary duty claim or to any person asserting a fiduciary duty claim on behalf of or in right of the Company, including stockholders, employees or creditors of the Company.

18. Applicable Law. This Agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

The Company hereby submits to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in The City of New York in any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby. The Company irrevocably and unconditionally waives any objection to the laying of venue of any suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby in Federal and state courts in the Borough of Manhattan in the City of New York and irrevocably and unconditionally waives and agrees not to plead or claim in any such court that any such suit or proceeding in any such court has been brought in an inconvenient forum.

19. Waiver of Jury Trial. The Company and its Subsidiaries hereby irrevocably waive, to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, any and all right to trial by jury in any legal proceeding arising out of or relating to this Agreement or the transactions contemplated hereby.

20. Patriot Act. In accordance with the requirements of the USA Patriot Act (Title III of Pub. L. 107-56 (signed into law October 26, 2001)), the Underwriters are required to obtain, verify and record information that identifies their respective clients, including the Company, which information may include the name and address of their respective clients, as well as other information that will allow the Underwriters to properly identify their respective clients.

21. Recognition of the U.S. Special Resolution Regimes.

(a) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, the transfer from such Underwriter of this Agreement, and any interest and obligation in or under this Agreement, will be effective to the same extent as the transfer would be effective under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement, and any such interest and obligation, were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

(b) In the event that any Underwriter that is a Covered Entity or a BHC Act Affiliate of such Underwriter becomes subject to a proceeding under a U.S. Special Resolution Regime, Default Rights under this Agreement that may be exercised against such Underwriter are permitted to be exercised to no greater extent than such Default Rights could be exercised under the U.S. Special Resolution Regime if this Agreement were governed by the laws of the United States or a state of the United States.

 

33


For purposes of this Section 21:

BHC Act Affiliate” has the meaning assigned to the term “affiliate” in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 U.S.C. § 1841(k).

Covered Entity” means any of the following:

(i) a “covered entity” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 252.82(b);

(ii) a “covered bank” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 47.3(b); or

(iii) a “covered FSI” as that term is defined in, and interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. § 382.2(b).

Default Right” has the meaning assigned to that term in, and shall be interpreted in accordance with, 12 C.F.R. §§ 252.81, 47.2 or 382.1, as applicable.

U.S. Special Resolution Regime” means each of (i) the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder and (ii) Title II of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and the regulations promulgated thereunder.

[Signature Pages Follow]

 

34


If the foregoing is in accordance with the Representatives’ understanding of our agreement, kindly sign and return to the Company one of the counterparts hereof, whereupon it will become a binding agreement among the Company and the several Underwriters in accordance with its terms.

 

Very truly yours,
DESERT PEAK MINERALS INC.
By:  

             

Name:   Christopher Conoscenti
Title:   Chief Executive Officer

 

Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement


The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.

 

BARCLAYS CAPITAL INC.
By:  

         

Name:  
Title:  
Acting on behalf of itself and as a Representative of the several Underwriters.

 

Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement


The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.

 

UBS SECURITIES LLC
By:  

     

Name:  
Title:  
By:  

         

Name:  
Title:  
Acting on behalf of itself and as a Representative of the several Underwriters.

 

Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement


The foregoing Underwriting Agreement is hereby confirmed and accepted as of the date first above written.

 

CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC
By:  

         

Name:  
Title:  
Acting on behalf of itself and as a Representative of the several Underwriters.

 

Signature Page to Underwriting Agreement


SCHEDULE A

 

Underwriter

   Number of Firm
Securities to be
Purchased
 
Barclays Capital Inc.      [ •] 
UBS Securities LLC      [ •] 
Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC      [ •] 
Capital One Securities, Inc.      [ •] 
Citigroup Global Markets Inc.      [ •] 
Evercore Group, L.L.C.      [ •] 
RBC Capital Markets, LLC      [ •] 
Maxim Group LLC      [ •] 
Stephens Inc.      [ •] 
Tudor, Pickering, Holt & Co.      [ •] 
Tuohy Brothers Investment Research, Inc.      [ •] 

Total

     [ •] 
  

 

 

 

 

Schedule A-1


SCHEDULE B

 

1.

General Use Free Writing Prospectuses (included in the General Disclosure Package)

“General Use Issuer Free Writing Prospectus” includes each of the following documents:

1. [•].

 

2.

Other Information Included in the General Disclosure Package

The following information is also included in the General Disclosure Package:

Price per share to the public: $[•]

 

Schedule B-1


SCHEDULE C

Subsidiaries

 

Entity

  

Jurisdiction of

Incorporation/Formation

Desert Peak LLC    Delaware
KMF Land, LLC    Delaware

 

Schedule C-1


SCHEDULE D

Jurisdictions of Foreign Qualification

 

Entity

  

Jurisdiction(s)

Desert Peak Minerals Inc.    None
Desert Peak LLC    None
KMF Land, LLC    Colorado, New Mexico and Texas

 

Schedule D-1


SCHEDULE E

Parties Signing Lock-Up Agreement

Chambers DPM Holdco, LLC

KMF DPM Holdco, LLC

Rock Ridge Resources, LLC

Source Energy Leasehold LP

Permian Mineral Acquisitions, LP

Christopher L. Conoscenti

Carrie L. Osicka

Britton L. James

Jarret J. Marcoux

Brett S. Riesenfeld

Noam Lockshin

Morris Clark

Benjamin Dell

Scott Nyquist

Alice Gould

Erik Belz

Allen Li

 

Schedule E-1


Exhibit A

Form of Opinion and 10b-5 Statement of Counsel to the Company

[To come]

 

A-1


Exhibit B

Form of Press Release

Desert Peak Minerals Inc.

[Date]

Desert Peak Minerals Inc. (the “Company”) announced today that Barclays Capital Inc., the lead book-running manager in the Company’s recent public sale of                  shares of Class A common stock, is [waiving] [releasing] a lock-up restriction with respect to                 shares of the Company’s Class A common stock held by [certain officers or directors] [an officer or director] of the Company. The [waiver] [release] will take effect on                 ,                  20                , and the shares may be sold on or after such date.

This press release is not an offer for sale of the securities in the United States or in any other jurisdiction where such offer is prohibited, and such securities may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an exemption from registration under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.

 

B-1


Exhibit C

Form of Lock-Up Agreement

Desert Peak Minerals Inc.

1144 15th Street, Suite 2650

Denver, Colorado 80202

Barclays Capital Inc.

UBS Securities LLC

Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

As Representatives of the several Underwriters

c/o Barclays Capital Inc.

745 Seventh Avenue

New York, New York 10019

c/o UBS Securities LLC

1285 Avenue of the Americas

New York, New York 10019

c/o Credit Suisse Securities (USA) LLC

Eleven Madison Avenue

New York, New York 10010-3629

Ladies and Gentlemen:

 

As an inducement to the Underwriters to execute the Underwriting Agreement (the “Underwriting Agreement”), pursuant to which an offering (the “Offering”) will be made that is intended to result in the establishment of a public market for the Class A common stock, par value $0.01 per share (the “Securities”), of Desert Peak Minerals Inc., a Delaware corporation, and any successor (by merger or otherwise) thereto (the “Company”), the undersigned hereby agrees that during the period specified in the following paragraph (the “Lock-Up Period”), the undersigned will not offer, sell, contract to sell, pledge or otherwise dispose of, directly or indirectly, any Securities or securities convertible into or exchangeable or exercisable for any Securities, enter into a transaction which would have the same effect, or enter into any swap, hedge or other arrangement that transfers, in whole or in part, any of the economic consequences of ownership of the Securities, whether any such aforementioned transaction is to be settled by delivery of the Securities or such other securities, in cash or otherwise, or publicly disclose the intention to make any such offer, sale, pledge or disposition, or to enter into any such transaction, swap, hedge or other arrangement, without, in each case, the prior written consent of Barclays Capital Inc. (“Barclays”). In addition, the undersigned agrees that, without the prior written consent of Barclays, it will not, during the Lock-Up Period, make any demand for the registration of any Securities or any security convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for the Securities. Capitalized terms not defined but otherwise used herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Underwriting Agreement.

 

C-1


The Lock-Up Period will commence on the date of this Lock-Up Agreement and continue and include the date that is 180 days after the public offering date set forth on the final prospectus used to sell the Securities (the “Public Offering Date”) pursuant to the Underwriting Agreement.

The restrictions in this Lock-Up Agreement shall not apply to: (a) any Securities acquired by the undersigned in the open market, (b) any transfer of Securities as a bona fide gift or to a family member, trust, family limited partnership or family limited liability company for the direct or indirect benefit of the undersigned or his or her family members or, in the case of an entity, to any entity controlling, controlled by or under common control with such entity, provided that (i) the donee or transferee agrees to be bound in writing by the terms of this Lock-Up Agreement prior to such transfer and (ii) no filing by any party (donor, donee, transferor or transferee) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), or otherwise, showing a reduction in ownership shall be required or shall be voluntarily made in connection with such transfer (other than a filing on a Form 5 made after the expiration of the Lock-Up Period), (c) any exercise of options or vesting or exercise of any other equity-based award, in each case under the Company’s equity incentive plan or any other plan or agreement described in the prospectus included in each Registration Statement, including any Securities withheld by the Company to pay the applicable exercise price or taxes associated with such awards (provided that (i) no filing or public announcement by any party under the Exchange Act or otherwise shall be voluntarily made in connection with such exercise or vesting and (ii) any Securities received upon such exercise or vesting, following any applicable net settlement or net withholding, will also be subject to this Lock-Up Agreement) and (d) any transfer between the Existing Owners related to obligations from previous acquisitions of mineral and royalty interests, provided that any transferred Securities shall be subject to the Lock-Up Agreement of the transferee. For purposes of this Lock-Up Agreement, a “family member” shall mean any relationship by blood, marriage, domestic partnership or adoption, not more remote than first cousin.

Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the undersigned may enter into a written trading plan established pursuant to Rule 10b5-1 of the Exchange Act during the Lock-Up Period; provided that no direct or indirect offers, pledges, sales, contracts to sell, sales of any option or contract to purchase, purchases of any option or contract to sell, grants of any option, right or warrant to purchase, loans, or other transfers or disposals of any Securities or any securities convertible into or exercisable or exchangeable for Securities may be effected pursuant to such plan during the Lock-Up Period; and provided that no public announcement or filing under the Exchange Act regarding the establishment of such plan shall be required of or voluntarily made by or on behalf of the undersigned or the Company during the Lock-Up Period.

 

C-2


In furtherance of the foregoing, the Company and its transfer agent and registrar are hereby authorized to decline to make any transfer of Securities if such transfer would constitute a violation or breach of this Lock-Up Agreement.

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, the undersigned further agrees that the foregoing restrictions in this Lock-Up Agreement shall be equally applicable to any issuer-directed Securities the undersigned may purchase in the Offering.

If the undersigned is an officer or director of the Company, (i) Barclays agrees that, at least three business days before the effective date of any release or waiver of the foregoing restrictions in connection with a transfer of Securities, Barclays will notify the Company of the impending release or waiver, and (ii) the Company has agreed in the Underwriting Agreement to announce the impending release or waiver by press release through a major news service at least two business days before the effective date of the release or waiver. Any release or waiver granted by Barclays hereunder to any such officer or director shall only be effective two business days after the publication date of such press release. The provisions of this paragraph will not apply if (a) the release or waiver is effected solely to permit a transfer not for consideration and (b) the transferee has agreed in writing to be bound by the same terms described in this Lock-Up Agreement to the extent and for the duration that such terms remain in effect at the time of the transfer.

This Lock-Up Agreement shall be binding on the undersigned and the successors, heirs, personal representatives and assigns of the undersigned. It is understood that if the Underwriting Agreement is executed yet terminates (other than the provisions thereof that survive termination) prior to payment for and delivery of the Offered Securities, the undersigned shall be released from all obligations under this Lock-Up Agreement. This Lock-Up Agreement shall lapse and become null and void if the Public Offering Date shall not have occurred on or before [•]. This agreement shall be governed by, and construed in accordance with, the laws of the State of New York.

[Signature Page Follows]

 

C-3


Very truly yours,

 

[Name of officer, director or stockholder]

 

Signature Page to Lock-Up Agreement